This Rachmaninov melody was recorded by Frank Sinatra and Bob Dylan – and no, it’s not ‘All By Myself’

17 July 2024, 16:35

By Ally Dunavant

You may recognise ‘All By Myself’ from a Rachmaninov concerto – but the great piano work also gave rise to another iconic pop song, recorded by two of the biggest names in music.

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Rachmaninov sparked something of a musical ripple effect with his iconic Piano Concerto No.2. The much-loved composition for piano and orchestra, written between 1900 and 1901, became such an earworm that its swelling melodies and floating phrases lingered in the minds of songwriters over half a century after its premiere.

‘All By Myself’, the infectious 70s power ballad from singer-songwriter Eric Carmen, famously credits Rachmaninov’s seminal work as the inspiration for its catchy melody.

But another hidden gem owing its genesis to Rachmaninov’s magnum opus is the 1945 traditional pop song, ‘Full Moon and Empty Arms’. Whilst many jazz greats have covered it over the years – including Erroll Garner and Sarah Vaughan – it rose to the top of the charts thanks to renditions by two legendary crooners, Frank Sinatra and Bob Dylan.

So let’s dive into the details of this charming 40s ballad to discover how it’s linked to Rachmaninov, and how we can still feel the waves of the Rachmaninov ripple effect in much of popular music today.

Rachmaninov at the piano. Picture: Getty

Rachmaninov composed his Piano Concerto No.2 after a challenging period of depression and writer’s block, following the catastrophic premiere of his first symphony in 1897. Thankfully, he emerged from a season of struggle to create what is largely considered to be the greatest piano concerto of all time, harvesting a diamond in the rough.

Rachmaninov finally penned his masterful concerto in C minor, divided into three movements – a tension-building moderato, a beautifully moving adagio and a rousing allegro. ‘Full Moon and Empty Arms’ is based on the third movement (whereas ‘All By Myself’ is based on the second movement).

‘Full Moon and Empty Arms’ was co-written by Buddy Kaye and Ted Mossman, two American songwriters, lyricists and arrangers. Buddy Kaye wrote hit songs for legends of the popular music scene including Elvis Presley, Dinah Washington, Dusty Springfield, and, in this case, Frank Sinatra and Bob Dylan.

The wistful lyrics to this lonely ballad capture a feeling of missing a loved one and longing for their presence on a beautiful, romantic evening. The lush, poetic lyricism is mirrored in the song’s sorrowful harmonies and melodies full of yearning, all of which borrow from Rachmaninov’s powerful third movement.

Listen to both works below and see if you can spot the similarities...

FRANK SINATRA - Full Moon and Empty Arms 1945

Storming Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 finale at the Royal Albert Hall | Classic FM

Although the third movement of Rachmaninov’s concerto begins in E major, it quickly modulates to the original C minor, and around the two-minute mark, you can hear the similarities shine through. The orchestra begins to play the recognisable main theme, which opens with a divine perfect-fourth interval, the piano later echoing it.

Kaye and Mossman extracted this famous melody nearly note-for-note to use as the vocal line of ‘Full Moon and Empty Arms’, giving Rachmaninov a direct writing credit. The shimmering chromatic notes in the melody make the lyrics shine, glowing like the full moon the singer gazes upon.

The Frank Sinatra recording also mirrors Rachmaninov’s original in much of its instrumentation, with dramatic strings that echo and swell around the vocal line. Bob Dylan’s rendition plays around with more country-inspired instrumentation, with a pedal steel guitar replacing the traditional strings section of violins, violas, cellos and double basses.

Despite the differences between the two covers, they both brought Rachmaninov and his timeless music into the public sphere again, well after his death in 1943. Sinatra’s recording topped the charts in 1945, whereas Dylan’s 2015 cover carried Rachmaninov’s composition into the 21st century.

Bob Dylan - Full Moon And Empty Arms (Official Audio)

There’s something magical sprinkled into the essence of Rachmaninov’s second piano concerto. Whether it crops up in the powerful melodies and themes of each movement, takes you by surprise in the spellbindingly virtuosic phrases of piano prowess, or hides in plain sight in the simplest yet perfectly placed intervals that tug at your heartstrings – there’s something in this piece of music to move everyone, whether you find it in Rachmaninov’s all-consuming original or Bob Dylan’s raw, simplified cover.

Rachmaninov’s genius has lived on not just in the hearts of classical music fans, but also in the melodies of a handful of pop songs that followed, from ‘Full Moon and Empty Arms’ to ‘All By Myself’, and surely more still to come.